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Monday, December 5, 2011

Top 50 Video Game Moments: Number 25

We've made it to the top half of the countdown! Today's moment comes from Shadow Complex, which I recently named my 31st favorite game ever. It's sort of end-gamey, but what I'm duscussing isn't too spoiler-y, so I dunno, proceed with caution/disregard?

I mentioned this one a bit ago when I named Shadow Complex my 31st favorite game ever. The idea here is relatively simple. Your character, Jason Fleming, starts out with normal hiking clothes and a pistol. As Jason explores the massive underground complex, he finds various upgrades. The setup isn't particularly new - a lot of games do this. What makes Shadow Complex so much different is just how much more badass you feel once you start receiving them.

Before.

They gradually transform your character from a relatively normal hiker into a nigh-unstoppable walking death machine. It's a difficult thing to do that and make the final segments of the game enjoyable, but Shadow Complex does it without blinking. Your melee attacks go from interesting little CQC attacks to punching your poor unfortunate enemy hundreds of feetinto the distance. Your gain the ability to triple-jump. You can run up walls. It never stops being exhilarating.

After. Worth noting that the dude on the right is about to be punched into oblivion.

Several friends have asked if Shadow Complex is any good. It's a testament to how awesome the upgrades are that all I need to do is load my save file from right before the end of the game and let them play around as the fully upgraded character for about five minutes. After that... well... who wouldn't want to play that game??